You can open an account with DERS by calling the customer service line at 1-866-420-3174 from Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. or on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. It is a good idea to provide at least three (3) business days' notice, but if there is already electricity or gas service then you can open an account on the same day that you would like to start service. You can start service up to three months before your move. To open your account you will need to provide your name, date of birth, and basic contact information (telephone number, email address), move-in date, service address, and whether you rent or own the property. You may be asked to provide a driver's licence number or another piece of government-issued identification. DERS charges a $10 activation fee to open a new account for natural gas.
New DERS customers must in most cases pay a security deposit upon opening an account. DERS charges a $200 security deposit for electricity accounts and a separate $200 security deposit for natural gas. If you are a DERS customer for both electricity and natural gas you will be charged $400 ($200 for electricity, $200 for gas). DERS will do a credit check for new customers as part of opening their account. Security deposits may be reduced or even waived if new customers have a good credit history or who can demonstrate good payment history from another utility (by presenting a letter from a previous utility that indicates at least 12 months good payment history).
DERS will hold security deposit for 12 months of good payment (monthly payment in full and on time), starting from the due date of the deposit (and not the starting date of service, which could be a different date). After 12 months good payment the security deposit will be returned with interest based on the one-year non-redeemable Royal Bank GIC rate for investments of $500 to $99,999.99 in the form of a credit on the customer’s bill.
DERS is a regulated rate provider for energy (natural gas and electricity) supply, but is not responsible for energy distribution. Your meter readings will be done by your local distribution company. DERS operates in the ATCO Electric distribution service territory and the ATCO Gas service area for natural gas, and you should contact these companies if you have a question about your meter. If you do not want to have your bill based on an estimated meter read, you can phone in your meter reading (find out how to read your electricity meter).
The DERS Budget Billing Plan (BBP) takes your estimated annual energy consumption and averages it throughout the year so that the amount you pay is the same amount every month. Your annual consumption is estimated and spread out over 11 months, with the 12th month for settling up any differences between your estimated and actual consumption (which could be a credit or a charge, depending on if you have consumed more or less than the estimate). Your meter will continue to be read, and your consumption will be monitored and may be adjusted partway through the year if there appears to be a large difference between your actual and estimated consumption.
To be eligible for the BBP your account must already be paid in full (you cannot have any outstanding payments on your account), and you must have at least a three month history of being a DERS customer. You can call DERS at 1-866-420-3174 to sign up for the BBP. DERS starts the budget billing year in October, but you can join at any time.
DERS charges a 1.5% late payment fee on unpaid amounts from a monthly bill, which will be added to the charges on the next bill. Also note that DERS charges a $25 fee to the customer for any failed payments (e.g. bounced cheque, failed automatic withdrawal), and may start the collection process.
You should contact DERS as soon as possible if you are not sure whether you can pay your energy bill. All partial payments to your bills will be applied to the outstanding amounts starting from the oldest bills.
DERS may pursue the following collection actions for customers who do not pay their bills:
You should provide three to four (3-4) weeks' notice when you move, as DERS will need to contact either ATCO Gas or ATCO Electric about your final meter read. You can call 1-866-420-3174 for your natural gas account and 1-888-420-3181 for electricity, or you can email [email protected] . When moving within the DERS service area your account will stay with you, and you will not have to pay a new security deposit.
You should provide at least three (3) business days' notice for closing your account with DERS if you are moving from the property. You can notify DERS of your intention to close your account by calling Customer Service at 1-866-420-3174. They may ask for proof that you will no longer be responsible for the property. You do not have to pay a fee to close your account with DERS.
DERS requires at least 30 days’ notice to close your account if you are switching to a competitive energy retail contract.
You should contact DERS at 1-866-420-3174 if you wish to have your service temporarily disconnected (for renovations, second homes, or otherwise). You may also need to contact your energy distribution company (ATCO Electric and/or ATCO Gas).